Professor Buzzard is an Administrative Appeals Judge for the U.S. Department of Labor Benefits Review Board. In this role, he is one of five judges who decide nationwide appeals in federal workers’ compensation cases involving coal miners, longshore workers, oil and gas workers, and military contractors. He issues more than 200 decisions per year on issues ranging from constitutional challenges and statutory interpretation to factual disputes and evidentiary rulings. Professor Buzzard also worked to revise and strengthen the ethics standards that apply to members of three adjudicatory boards at the Department of Labor, consistent with the American Bar Association Model Code of Judicial Conduct. Prior to his appointment to the Benefits Review Board, Professor Buzzard was General Counsel to U.S. Senator John D. Rockefeller IV. Among his primary responsibilities was advising the Senator and all staff members on compliance with Senate ethics rules and related federal laws governing conflicts of interest, financial disclosure, acceptance of gifts, lobbying, and post-employment restrictions. Professor Buzzard was also Senator Rockefeller’s chief advisor on legislative matters relating to constitutional interpretation, federal and state justice systems, judicial nominations, immigration, labor and employment law, civil rights, and campaign finance reform. In 2019, he was named a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.
